Avalanche: Summit

Location: Fresno

Date:
Observer:
Route & General Observations

APU Snow Science 1 toured on Fresno to check out the spring snowpack. We made it to 2500′ without getting soaked.

Avalanche Details
If this is an avalanche observation, click yes below and fill in the form as best as you can. If people were involved, please provide details.
Trigger NaturalRemote Trigger0
Avalanche Type UnknownAspect Unknown
ElevationunknownSlope Angleunknown
Crown DepthunknownWidthunknown
Vertical Rununknown  
Avalanche Details

Several natural D2-3 avalanches observed from the road along Seward Hwy (i.e. Orca, Whiteline), Portage (i.e. Door 1) and Turnagain Pass. Since none of us had been in the zone for two weeks, it was hard to define if the avalanches had happened in the last 24 hours or prior during the extended storm cycle.

Red Flags
Red flags are simple visual clues that are a sign of potential avalanche danger. Please record any sign of red flags below.
Obvious signs of instability
Recent Avalanches?Yes
Collapsing (Whumphing)?Yes
Cracking (Shooting cracks)?No
Observer Comments

Observed several significant whumpfs both at lower elevation as well as at 2500'.

Weather & Snow Characteristics
Please provide details to help us determine the weather and snowpack during the time this observation took place.
Weather

Temps above freezing the whole day.
Calm winds lower down, light breeze from E near the ridgeline.
Obscured/overcast sky.
Intermittent light rain at lower elevation and snow flurries above 2000'.

Snow surface

Unsupported moist and isothermal snowpack at lower elevation. Boot pen to crotch & ski pen 10-50cm.
At 2000' transitioned to improved skinning/skiing conditions.
Mid-elevation:~3cm 1F meltfreeze crust below 1-5cm of new snow.
Small roller balls observed above 2000'.

Snowpack

Moist and isothermal snowpack at lower elevation. Snowpack is percolating all the way to the ground. Ski conditions were catchy and challenging at the lower elevation.
--
Dug a pit and did a percolation test on ENE aspect close to the ridgeline (2500') in the trees on 20-25* slope.
HS 100-135cm.
We found a reactive layer 35 cm down, moist facets buried on March 8. This layer took a bit of force to fail, but it had lot of propagation propensity (ECTP21 & ECTP24). We also had the basal facets fail on CT 26 SC.

Photos & Video
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